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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — a short time
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com